Boise Real Estate Blog

The truth about Eagle Idaho open houses !

Listing agents love Eagle Idaho open houses!

Ever wondered why?

It’s because open houses are nothing less than a listing agent using your home as “bait” to meet potential buyers.

Very few homes are purchased by buyers who visit Eagle Idaho open houses.

While it sounds appealing to expose your home to the masses and let them walk through your home, there are many inherent risks, including:

1) Unqualified Buyers

There’s little point in showing your home to people who lack pre-approved financing.

Many open house visitors begin to look at homes before getting pre-approved.

Your home should only be shown to buyers who have pre-approved financing.

2) Lookers vs. Buyers

Real buyers work with a buyer’s agent, have signed a Buyer Representation Agreement, and usually have pre-approved financing.

They will view your home by appointment and be accompanied by their agent.

That’s an important difference vs. opening up your home to strangers (lookers) who are unaccompanied by an agent.

Open houses attract a lot of lookers.

Real buyers?

Not so much.

3) Looking for Decorating Ideas

Thanks to HGTV, half of our population is now focused on the latest decorating fads.

Eagle Idaho open houses provide the perfect opportunity for those people to cruise through your home in search of decorating ideas.

Why open your home up to people who aren’t even interested in buying a home?

4) Exposure To Strangers

Letting strangers wander through your home is dangerous for you and your listing agent.

If those strangers are unaccompanied by an agent, you and your listing agent know nothing about them.

They may not be ready to buy, they may have a home to sell before buying, and they probably lack pre-approved financing.

They could have criminal records, be sexual predators, or worse.

Each year, numerous real estate agents across the U.S. are attacked (some murdered) while showing homes to strangers.

Do you really want strangers walking through your home at an open house?

5) Unaccompanied Open House Visitors

Your home should only be shown to prospective buyers who are accompanied by an agent.

That agent should be required to open your lockbox to create an electronic record of entry to your home, even if you open the door to let them in.

6) Risk of Theft

Your listing agent should advise you to lock up your prescription drugs, money, firearms, and financial documents when you list your home.

This is even more important if your listing agent plans to hold open houses.

It’s easy for open house visitors to open your bathroom drawers and grab prescription meds if you don’t lock them up (you won’t miss a few of those painkillers or anxiety meds).

7) Risk of Future Burglary

There’s a reason why listing agents check for unlocked windows and doors at the end of an open house.

A listing agent simply cannot watch every open house visitor 100% of the time while they explore your home.

Open house visitors are often able to walk through your home while the listing agent is busy talking with other visitors and unable to keep an eye on everyone in your home.

That makes it easy for someone to unlock a window, or a door, so they can return later when you aren’t home.

8) Nosy Neighbors

Your neighbors would love to see your home, your décor, and see if you’re a good housekeeper.

An open house will provide an opportunity for nosy neighbors to see how your home compares to their home.

Then, your home will be the topic of conversation when those neighbors return to their own home 🙁

View All Eagle Idaho Homes For Sale

View My Tour of Eagle Video